ARCHITECTURE 2030 NEWS & DEVELOPMENTS

Advancing Net Zero Worldwide

June 2016 | Announcements | International

Green Building Councils Worldwide to Develop Net Zero Certifications

Architecture 2030 joins WorldGBC as the lead partner in a new project – Advancing Net Zero – to deliver “net zero” building energy or greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) certification pathways across Green Building Councils (GBCs) worldwide. At least eight GBCs will initially take part in the project, including: Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Netherlands, South Africa, and Sweden, with additional GBCs to follow.

In his keynote at COP21 Buildings Day, Ed Mazria called for GBCs worldwide to commit to develop net zero certification as a critical catalyst for transitioning the building sector towards zero net emissions.

The WorldGBC and its 74 Green Building Councils (representing 27,000 member companies) responded with a bold commitment to reduce CO2 emissions from the building sector by 84 gigatons by 2050, through net zero buildings and deep renovation.

Under this new project, WorldGBC and Architecture 2030 will work directly with participating GBCs to transform these commitments into actions. GBCs will be guided through the adoption of common definitions for net zero and the development of action plans to accelerate the launch of national net zero certification programs (as stand-alone programs or extension of existing rating systems). In addition, each participating GBC will create net zero training programs for their building professional community and support the development of net zero demonstration projects for each market.

This collaboration marks a critical inception point that will align disparate efforts across the industry and set the stage for global adoption of net zero standards.

The term “net zero” refers to buildings, which are either net zero energy or net zero emissions, reflecting a balance of energy efficiency with clean energy resources on an annual basis. Researchers estimate that there are currently hundreds of net zero commercial buildings and thousands of net zero homes around the world. The Advancing Net Zero project is aimed at tipping the global market to rapidly adopt net zero and establish it as standard practice for all new construction by 2030.

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About Architecture 2030

We are a non-profit organization established in 2002. Architecture 2030’s mission is to rapidly transform the built environment from the major contributor of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to a central part of the solution to the climate and energy crisis.